Art Institute of Chicago

Sampler

Nasca

Date

1 CE-200 CE

Medium

Cotton, plain weave; embroidered with cotton and wool (camelid) in back, cross, double running, running, satin, and stem stitches

Culture

Peru

Department

Textiles

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Images of birds are often presented in polychrome ceramics and textiles created by Nazca artists. the birds depicted in this panel are delicately rendered in white outlining and colored highlights, with embroidery reminiscent of earlier Paracas needlework. In their beaks, they carry various flora along with crustaceans, fish, insects, snakes, spiders, and worms. The design may have deeper meaning, using the food chain as a metaphor for transformation. There is a group of several similar examples of embroidered birds of Nazca origin, often referred to as samplers. Some scholars theorize that these works relate to a specific workshop or are evidence of strict guidelines and regulations for production.

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